“Be the first to get your licence on your phone,” the message read,followed by a link to register.
But there was a problem:people’s surnames were incorrect,triggering fears of a widespread scam or possible data breach.
One woman,whose surname is Steers,posted her message from VicRoads on social media,revealing the agency had addressed her as Ms Senanayakage. Another woman,whose surname is Guna,said she had been given the last name Car.
The head of VicRoads registration and licensing,Dean Tillotson,ruled out a scam or data breach on Thursday and said it was a technical error.
“We apologise to customers in Ballarat,” he said. “The error is limited to an incorrect name reflected on the direct email and no other personal information has been disclosed.”
All fully licensed drivers in the regional city are eligible to participate in the pilot program,meaning as many as 40,000 or so people could have been affected by the blunder.